The Intergovernmental Authority on Development or IGAD Secretariat applauds Djibouti for launching the largest Free Trade Zone in Africa on July 5, 2018.
The message CRN got says: ‘This is a clear demonstration of regional economic integration that the Member States have been working t.
It discloses that the Zone is estimated to handle over seven billion dollars in the next two years for manufacturing, warehouse facilities.
The message says an export processing area and service centres that will create over 15,000 job opportunities.
President of Djibouti Ismail Omar Guelleh describes the launch of the free trade zone as a place of hope for thousands of young jobseekers.
President of Rwanda Paul Kagame notes that the Zone will not only serve Djibouti but wider regions of Africa.
They say IGAD is proud of the milestone to realize aspirations of the ongoing discussions on the free movement protocol and African free trade area.
Prime Minister of Ethiopia and Chairman of IGAD Dr Abiy Ahmed, President of Somalia, Mohamed Abdullahi Mohamed, President of Sudan, Omar Al Bashir and the African Union Commission Chair, Musa Faki Mohammed re-echoed similar sentiments on the occasion.